The present invention relates to hand-held cutting knives, and more particularly to knives having retractable blades.
Hand-held utility knives such as those used by hobbyists, artists, draftsman, and those used for odd jobs around the home and office have long been known. A well-known form of such knife has a small metal blade detachably secured at one end of an elongate cylindrical handle and is ideal for detailed cutting work where tight control of the knife blade is required. Examples of such knives are sold under the X-Acto.RTM. trademark.
While known knives are excellent tools for detailed cutting, there is believed a need for a less expensive, more compact and disposable knife for the odd cutting job around the home or office. For some applications, the typical elongate handle can be a hindrance to the job at hand. Furthermore, the typical knife may not be practical for carrying and storage where a smaller sized knife would be preferable.
These and other limitations of known knives establish a need for a simple, compact, inexpensive and relatively safe utility knife.